■flu 



VIRGINIA 




ISSVEDBYTHE 



CHAMBERo/COMMERCE 

^ yVORFOLK 




^M 






The 

Chamber of Commerce 

of Norfolk 

Is located in the National 
Bank of Commerce Bldg. 



It is equipped with 

An Information and Industrial 
Department 

A Reading and Writing Room 

A Traffic Department 

A Grain and Hay Inspection 
Department 



You are invited to make it your 
headquarters while in Norfolk 





A bustling scene on the inner harbor of Norfolk. Hampton Roads 
and Norfolk are free from ice in the harbor throughout the year. 



Foreword. 

Norfolk, Virginia, the Central Atlantic Port, is the most 
virile, optimistic community on the southern seaboard. This 
opulent and thriving city stands as the result of an ambitious 
and energetic citizenship doing its work well. The record of 
past achievements has given the city world-wide fame. The 
future is assured. 

Norfolk is no mean city. Close investigation will at once 
confirm the basis for Norfolk's splendid reputation abroad. 
No port in the United States of equal population is arousing 
national attention to the extent that Norfolk is doing. 

Norfolk and Norfolk County, with the largest population 
of a similar unit in Virginia, is America's greatest coal ex- 
porting point ; is the center of truck farms that feed the metro- 
politan cities of the East; originator and center of the peanut 
industry and important in lumber, oyster, fish, fertilizer and 
miscellaneous manufacturing and wholesale and retail mer- 
chandising. 



^i^^^^^^^i^nMS 




i^^i^^i^iiMS^ 




The Virginian Railway coal pier. This road hauls the heaviest trains 
in the world. Built by H. H. Rogers, personally. 

Norfolk's Export Coal Trade. 

Twelve million tons of coal were dumped over the tide- 
water coal piers on Hampton Roads last year. 

Coal from Norfolk is shipped to all parts of the world. 
Markets that have always been considered open only to Welsh 
coal, are now being supplied with coal from Norfolk. 

Millions of dollars have been expended in providing fa- 
cilities at Norfolk for handling this commerce. Existing rail- 
roads to West Virginia have been rebuilt to take care of it. 
The late H. H. Rogers startled the world by building the Vir- 
ginian Railway from Norfolk to the West Virginia fields to 
handle coal trafific. 

The heaviest freight trains on earth are hauled into Nor- 
folk loaded with coal, because of an extremely low grade to 
tidewater. 

The quality of such well-known West Virginia coals as 
the Pocahontas, and New River fields produce is now con- 
ceded the world over. Contracts are made for 14,600 B. T. 
U's, and train loads sometimes run as high as 15,000 B. T. U's. 

Contract prices for this coal at Norfolk is $2.75 per ton, 
2,000 lbs., carloads delivered on private sidings, and $2.90 
and $3.00 per ton, 2,240 lbs., f. o. b. vessels for off-shore 
points. 



JMi§I[^I^C§ 



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lift iiiTf 

II iiii iiiii 

I III 1 1 III 

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The heart of Granby Street, showing- the Royster Building. Hotel, 

shopping- and amusement center of Norfolk — lined -with farm 

houses a fe-w years ago. The transformation of Granby 

Street has been the most notable feature of Norfolk's 

development. Cro-wded -with traffic 

every day in the year. 



lF^irc5)T^-TF^ ^Ti^^J1^^^^^^^ 



An Equable Climate All Year 'Round. 

During every season of the year people from other sec- 
tions are in Norfolk to benefit from its invigorating climate. 

The tang of salt air in the summer breezes, and the 
warmth that comes from the Gulf Stream to temper the 
winters, gives Norfolk a combination that cities north or 
south cannot enjoy. 

Norfolk is cooler in summer and warmer in winter be- 
cause of the above influences than Virginia cities but seventy- 
five miles from the coast. 

The Atlantic Ocean on the east, the Chesapeake Bay and 
Hampton Roads on the north, the Elizabeth River on the west, 
with the Lafayette River, the Hague and the Eastern Branch 
running east from the Elizabeth River through sections of 
Norfolk and its environs, put all parts of the city within a few 
blocks of salt water. 

In a latitude far north of other "Southern" cities, there 
is a bracing influence in the climate that makes the native 
population and newcomers strong, healthy and active. 

Aside from the fact that tempering influences rid it of 
the extremes that draw upon people's reserve strength, there 
is little difference between Norfolk's climate and that of the 
southerly "Northern" cities. 

CLIMATIC TABLES Average 

Temperature Rain, In. 

January 40.7 3.30 

Fe,bruary 41.5 3.78 

March 48. 4.35 

April 56.4 3.31 

May 66.6 4.13 

June 74.6 4.12 

July 78.8 5.91 

August 77.1 6.05 

September 71.7 4.01 

October 61.1 3.75 

November 50.9 2.76 

December . 42.9 3.42 



^Tt^^trS)T°^-TF?'cS)T1i^T^^^ 




Looking up the livest street in Virginia — Granby Street at the corner 

of Main Street. Street cars for Ocean View, Willoughby 

Spit and Old Point Comfort depart from this corner. 

Norfolk is the port of entry for the State of Virginia; 
headquarters for U. S. Army Engineer work, revenue cutter 
and hght-house services, and steamboat inspection. 



A Cosmopolitan and Progressive City. 

It is but one night's ride by fast and luxurious steamers 
from Norfolk to New York, Baltimore, Washington and 
Richmond; and by fast trains to those cities and Philadelphia 
and Boston; the latter city being reached in two nights by 
steamer from Norfolk. 

Norfolk not only provides an unequalled base for hand- 
ling southern and national trade, but enables those engaged in 
it to avoid isolating themselves in a far-off and provincial city 
whose climate may require several years' residence in order 
to become accustomed to it. 

This feeling has prevented many highly desirable people 
from interesting themselves in southern affairs. Norfolk, on 
the closest investigation, will prove a solution of the problem 
for many who are hesitating. 

Southern business can be handled more cjuickly and 
economically from Norfolk than any other city, bar none. 
National markets can also be reached without delay or sacri- 
fice of profits. 

The climate is salubrious asd congenial to those who hail 
from any section of the United States. Because of its nearness 
to metropolitan centers and the trend of local affairs, the so- 
cial and business atmosphere is broad, progressive and metro- 
politan. People feel at home in Norfolk at once. 

Thousands of the leading people of Norfolk have come 
here from northern and middle-western states, and large num- 
bers from North Carolina. Newcomers from any section will 
find people from their home state living in Norfolk. 

When traveling East, buy your ti'^'^et via Norfolk, thence 
steamship to destination. The stop-over and water trip will 
prove worth while and restful. 



m^Mi^^i^^^^^^^^i^^fflMSi^ 




Main Street, looking toward the harbor. The financial center of 

Norfolk, lined with Virginia's finest retail stores. Portsmouth, 

Berkley Ward and the Navy Yard reach Norfolk via 

the ferries and Main Street. 



The combined population of Norfolk and Norfolk county 
exceeds that of any other city and county in Virginia and 
North Carolina, according- to U. S. census figures. More 
people throng its streets than any other city in both states. 



jM^m3^Ti^^T^^^^^^^^^gi^$y-nit^f^ 




Main Street looking- east. Commercial Place, which leads to the 
ferries, connects with Main Street at the Monument. 



A Notable Retail City. 

As the market place for the products of Eastern Vir- 
ginia and North Carohna, and the transportation connection 
for those sections, there is a demand for retail merchandise 
that has developed this business more than any other part of 
the city's commerce. 

With a city and county whose population in 1910 was 
153,386, the retail establishments of Norfolk are more Hke 
those of a city of double the population of 85,005, which the 
United States census gave in 1913. 

Norfolk is the retail city for all the live Hampton Roads 
counties whose aggregate population in 1910 was 239,369. All 
of this population is within twenty miles of Norfolk and makes 
this city its shopping center. 



TF^J[5 )T^-TF^C^T£^T!^^^^y^ ^ 




City Hall Avenue — always busy. Electric cars leave here for Virginia 
Beach, Cape Henry, Sewall's Point, Newport News, Berkley, etc. 

Growth of Fertilizer Industry. 

On the opposite page is a typical Norfolk fertilizer plant. 
On the front is deep water that permits steamers loaded with 
raw material to discharge at little expense. On the rear is 
a belt line railroad that taps eight trunk lines of railroad 
on an equal basis. 

The output of the plants now aggregates 300,000 tons 
per year, valued at $5,000,000. The chmate, the soil and 
the ever increasing intensity of cultivation in the Norfolk dis- 
trict provide a wider market for fertilizer every season. These 
plants are among the heaviest producers of tonnage in 
Norfolk. 

Berkley ward, in which these plants center, is admirably 
fitted for industries. A trip through it is a revelation. 



10 



1i^^T^-TF^^Tl^T^^'^^^}^^yp^^ 




The Southern Branch of the EUzabeth River is lined with huge 

fertilizer plants. Thirty-five feet of water and belt 

line reaching eight railroads. 

Several of the companies operating fertilizer plants in 
Norfolk own chains of plants throughout the Southeast. The 
profits from the fertilizer business have been responsible for 
many civic improvements. 

Some of these plants own their phosphate mines in Flori- 
da, bringing it to Norfolk by ship-loads. Raw material from 
over sea is now coming to Norfolk in cargo lots. 

The increase in the number of fertilizer plants has been 
a conspicuous feature of Norfolk's recent growth. They 
illustrate the advantage of the city for heavy industries serv- 
ing Southern markets where every economy must be practiced. 

A visit to Norfolk is not complete unless a trip is made 
up the Southern Branch past the industrial development. 
Launches for harbor trips may be hired at the foot of Main 
Street. 



11 



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A Norfolk peanut butter and candy factory. It was a Norfolk man 
that Induced Annericans to adopt the peanut as a food. 

Center of American Peanut Industry. 

It was a Norfolk man, still living, who made the peanut 
famous and Norfolk the center of the American peanut busi- 
ness. Soil, climate and labor conditions in the sections of 
Virginia and North Carolina adjacent to Norfolk are especially 
adapted to their growth. 

* Capital from these two states, using Norfolk as head- 
quarters, has always controlled the peanut trade. 

Large cleaning factories and warehouses center in Nor- 
folk and adjacent territory. Factories have also been estab- 
lished here to put up shelled, salted and candied peanuts and 
peanut butter. 

The package car service described on pages twenty-three 
and twenty- four materially assists in national distribution. 



12 



_l^@M3 ^Ti^J?^ ^^^^^^^-mmiIJM5A, 




A large metal and wood-working establishment located on the Norfolk 

and Portsmouth Belt Line Railroad, which gives 

connections with eight trunk lines. 

The peanut production of the Norfolk district last year 
was 2,300,000 bags valued at $12,000,000.00. To this should 
be added the increased value of prepared .peanuts sold by 
Norfolk factories. 

Other southern states are now raising peanuts from Vir- 
ginia seed; but they are all marketed on the Norfolk basis, 
freight, etc. 

The introduction and development of peanuts, acquaint- 
ing the American people with their qualities as a food and 
putting the business on a profitable basis is an example of 
what Norfolk men can do. 

The Norfolk district taught the South the benefits of 
intensive soil cultivation and rotation in crops. 

Its nearness to great consuming markets and the cheap 
rail, water and electric lines that enable shipments to be as- 
sembled at Norfolk is a condition not matched elsewhere. 



13 



JM^Ham^I^^^^^^^^^^^M^^^ 




One of the largest oyster and fish "factories" in America. Norfolk's 

nearness to the beds and feeding grounds, the excellence of 

the varieties secured, and quick transportation to 

markets, '^as built up a national 

business in these lines. 

You will never really know or appreciate the excellence 

of sea-food until you eat it in Norfolk 

at its best. 

14 



Oyster and Fish Production. 

A large portion of Norfolk's wealth is derived from the 
oyster, crab and fish industry. Her commerce in these items 
is confined principally to "fresh" shipments. Less attention 
is paid to canning oysters than in other markets. 

Between five and six million dollars worth of oysters are 
shipped annually by the producers who center at Norfolk. 
Large fleets are employed in tonging them from the producing 
fields. 

The Lynnhaven, Horn Harbor, Cherrystone, Mobjack, 
Little Bay and Hunger's Creek oysters are produced in the 
Norfolk district. The epicures of the nation depend largely 
upon Norfolk for this far-famed and delicious sea-food. 

Hard and soft crab production that centers in Hampton 
Roads amounts to over one million dollars in value. About 
half is shipped fresh, the rest is canned. Many fastidious 
people consider the pleasure of eating hard crab meat, as 
served in Norfolk, ample compensation for a trip half way 
across the continent. 

Although trout, sheepshead, hog-fish, shad, mackerel, and 
blue fish are caught near Norfolk in quantities valued at over 
two million dollars annually, it is the Ocean View spot that 
gives the city distinction in fish production. 

A trip to Norfolk is incomplete unless the traveler has 
feasted on this delicious fish. It is different in taste from 
the usual varieties, and one meal makes an enthusiast out of 
every one. They are at their best when caught on the feeding- 
ground in Chesapeake Bay that runs along the shore between 
Ocean View and Lynnhaven Inlet. 



15 



J^^lm^^l^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 




The modern, high capacity power house of the Virginia Railway & 

Power Company. Has water and rail connections. 

Aside from current generated for the Norfolk Southern electric 

lines, this plant furnishes all the electricity consumed 

in Norfolk and Portsmouth, and Noi'folk and 

Princess Anne Counties. 



If. 



Electricity, Gas and Traction Lines. 

The above three pubHc utilities are operated by the Vir- 
ginia Railway & Power Company, which is controlled by the 
Gould interests of New York. 

The power house shown on the preceding page has 
a capacity of 17,000 k. w. It furnishes all the commercial 
current used in Norfolk and Princess Anne Counties. 

Maximum franchise rates for electric lighting start at 
ten cents per k. w. h. for quantities up to 99.9 k. w. h. per 
month and gradually reduce to six cents per k. w. h. for 1428.5 
k. w. h. and upwards. Power rates from nine cents per k. w. h. 
for quantities up to 110.9 k. w. h. to four cents per k. w. h. 
for 2222.3 k. w. h. and over. Ten per cent discount is allowed 
for prompt cash payment. 

Much lower rates are made to consumers where their 
requirements enable them to give the company guarantees in 
the way of consumption and minimum charges. Some of these 
rates scale down to one cent per k. w. h. 

Gas is sold to domestic consumers at the rate of $1.00 
per thousand cubic feet. 

The traction lines of this company are shown in detail 
on pages thirty-three and thirty-four. They cover one hun- 
dred and ninety-three miles. New equipment is being added 
from time to time. The Norfolk Southern railroad operates 
an electric line from the center of the city to Lynnhaven, Cape 
Henry, Virginia Beach and intermediate stations. The ex- 
tension of traction facilities to beach resorts gives a wide sec- 
tion of suburban territory good transportation. 



17 



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On the beach at Ocean View, one of the many seaside resorts 

at Norfolk. The tourists find Norfolk 

interesting at all seasons. 

Water Supply and Rates. 

An unusually high grade of water is supplied to Norfolk. 
It is secured from fresh water lakes east of the city and is 
very soft and free from impurities. Many people come to 
Norfolk during their vacations in order to benefit from its 
healthful water. 

The City of Norfolk supplies water inside the city limits, 
except Berkley Ward, which lies on the south side of the 
Eastern Branch of the Elizabeth River. 

Water is supplied to factories and domestic consumers 
at the flat rate of thirteen and one-half cents per thousand 
gallons. 



18 



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An ordinary catch of Ocean View spots. The only place where this 
appetizing fish can be caught. They run in great numbers. 

The Norfolk County Water Company supplies the su- 
burbs of Norfolk, the resorts and colonies at the beaches and 
certain sections of the city which have been annexed since 
the Norfolk County Water Company was established, and 
which its franchise still covers. 

This company's published rate is thirteen and a half 
cents per thousand gallons to all consumers. 

The Portsmouth, Berkley and Suffolk Water Company 
serving those sections charges factories thirty cents per thous- 
and gallons for water, except those averaging one hundred 
and fifty thousand gallons per month, who are charged twenty 
cents per thousand gallons. 

The City of Norfolk is now engaged in working out plans 
for a large unified system of water supply and distribution. It 
will result in the public and private plants being consolidated 
and operated by the city. 

The quality of Norfolk's water is excellent. Its softness 
especially fits it for laundry purposes. 



19 




Norfolk from the inner harbor; an unrivalled location for com- 
merce and industry. A thirtjr-flve foot channel to the sea through 
Hampton Roads. 




A glimpse of the down-town section of Norfolk. The center of life 
and activity in Virginia and the Carolinas. Busy by day or night. ^ 



20 



j^rSTT°^-T^"c55Tii^^ ^^^^^y^4<^ 




A section of Norfolk's great harbor. In the foreground, commercial 

warehouses, cotton warehouse district and steamship terminals. 

In the background, the terminals of the Southern 

Railway and Atlantic Coast Line can be seen. 



Fast Package Car Service. 

The jobber or manufacturer who depends upon freight 
service that entails numerous delays in transit caused by trans- 
fer of his 1. c. 1. shipments en route because of not having 
through car service is severely handicapped nowadays. 

Ignoring the increased loss and damage which irritates 
the customer and helps to lose business, there is a changed 
condition of merchandising to be considered. Merchants no 
longer carry stocks that last through whole seasons. Many of 
them depend upon daily shipments from jobbers or manufac- 
turers. Any delay in the receipt of goods that are usually 
badly needed tends to transfer the customer to a market with 
modern service. 

Three hundred and fifty package cars are dispatched from 
Norfolk daily by the various rail lines to points in twenty-eight 
states. Only three other cities in the whole United States 
can approach this service. 



23 



3ife 




Nurldlk I'l'uiji Ihu iiiiiei' harbor; an unrivalled location for com- 
merce and industry. A thirty-live foot channel to the sea through 
llam|)ton lloads. 





Norfolk—Virginia's Livest City. 

The population of Norfolk proper in 1913 was 85,003, ac- 
cording to the U. S. Census office. The combined city and 
count).' in I'JIO had a popttlation of J53,3S(), which was larger 
than an}' other combined cit)' and county in either V'irginia or 
North Carolina. 

The population of the cities and five counties on Hampton 
Roads of which Norfolk is the retail, wholesale, financial, 
hotel and amusement center was 239,2(30 in 1910. No other 
Virginia city has such a dependent population. 



A .i;liiui>sc III' Uir dnwn-Uiwn scclinn of NortoU;. The center of life 
iind acUvily in \'ir.t;iniii and the Carolinas. Busy by day or night. 



Norfolk is conceded to be an unrivalled location for iron 
and steel works that will use imported ore. 



The Termiuul passenger .sialin 
of the engrivving. Norfolk is Init 
centers. 



l^ld's rliic r 



I'ii'.lil hand 
nni all lOas 




Ghent, a fashionable residence district of Norl'nlk 
location and excellence of climate, this city caiin 



jafsasEis 



^^^^^feanMai. 



The Norfolk shipper can lay his goods down at their des- 
tination on time the year through. Our freight rates are very 
favorable for national distribution and this service completes 
the situation. 

Many Southeastern manufacturers and jobbers could 
have prevented Chicago, St. Louis or New York capturing 
otherwise well satisfied trade had they been located in Norfolk 
and able to overcome the time lost in shipping from cities 
without this service. 

National distributors are favoring Norfolk as a location 
for Southeastern business because of this real advantage. This 
facility alone puts Norfolk ahead of any Southeastern com- 
petitor. 

Eight railroads are brought to the doors of Norfolk in- 
dustries when located on the Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt Line 
Railroad, shown on pages thirty-three and thirty-four. Belt 
Line switching is absorbed by all lines. Large detail map of 
this road sent on application to the Chamber of Commerce. 








The millions of packages of truck shipped from Norfolk every year, 
keep this and other factories on the Belt Line busy. 



24 



jM^MiE^i^^^^^^^^^^mMS^ 




Branch house and commercial cold storage warehouse of the Anheuser- 

With a cold storage capacity of nearly 2,000,00 cubic feet, rail connecij 

this place offers unusual facilities. Distribution handled fi,. 



General and Refrigerator Storage. 

Manufacturers who sell a national market that does not 
justify independent branch houses will find large and modern 
ordinary and refrigerator commercial warehouses, whose ser- 
vice is first class. 

These facilities are located on a thirty-five foot channel 
of water where cargoes can be unloaded; have barging facili- 
ties and switch tracks which connect them with a belt line that 
gives access on equal terms to eight trunk line railroads. 

Tables of freight rates on your product from Norfolk, 
map showing the hundreds of points reached by daily fast pack- 
age cars furnished at once by the Chamber of Commerce. 



27 



Milwaukee 
WIS. 




jMroumm^Tb^ rT^ 



diiMSi^ 



The Belt Line Railroad. 




Busch Brewing Association. 
;ions, deep water piers, 
)r customers. 



The Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt Line 
Railroad is an unexcelled location for in- 
dustries. A plant located on it is given 
access on an equal basis to eight first class 
trunk line railroads. 

This is another facility that makes 
Norfolk a preeminent location for indus- 
tries. 

A map of the belt line showing the 
vast development already made, expert 
advice as to locating your biisiness in Nor- 
folk and confidential assistance in secur- 
ing sites will be furnished by the Cham- 
ber of Commerce without obligation on 
the part of the recipient. 




The Consumers' Brewery, one of Norfolk's large industrial estab- 
lishments. A large employer of labor and well capitalized. 



28 



^^^^^ 




'^mi. 



A Norfolk silk mill. Added to its many cotton mills, this plant makes 
Norfolk unique among Southern textile centers. 

Trade Territory Easily Accessible. 

Norfolk is not only the key to the Southeast, which is 
becoming a more attractive market for all centers, but can 
reach many Central States, as well, at an advantage over com^- 
petitors. 

Freight rates permit the Norfolk manufacturer or 
wholesaler to command the trade of Virginia, the Carolinas, 
Eastern Tennessee and Kentucky, and all of West Virginia, 
provided his capital and ability is sufficient to handle the busi- 
ness. 

Virginia, North and South Carolina, West Virginia, 
Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee and 
the northern parts of Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi can 
be reached from Norfolk on a par with Baltimore and lower 
than any other Seaboard city. 

Permit the Chamber of Commerce to lay convincing 
proof of these facts before you, as they apply to your business. 



31 



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"NORFOLK, VIRGINIA" 

ISSUEDBY 

Chanit)6r°fCoiiiiii6rGE''f Norfolk 



A National Market Available. 

Because Norfolk reaches the sections mentioned on page 
thirty-one under exceptionahy favorable conditions does not 
bar her from the rest of the country. 

A number of local manufacturers who depend upon 
national markets have been unusually successful in operating" 
in Norfolk. 

There isn't a better distributing point in the United 
States, every phase of the matter being taken into considera- 
tion. 

It doesn't cost as much to pay for draying to the receiving 
station in Norfolk as it does to pay the freight rate, which is 
the case in many Northern centers. 

National distribution can be carried on more profitably 
from Norfolk than any city in the South, bar none. Every 
concern that markets its product in the South could save 
money by distributing from Norfolk. On the other hand, 
Norfolk can invade Northern markets with more freedom 
than houses in that section can come South. 

The Belt Line railroad, which ds illustrated on the two 
pages opposite, is another facility which few port cities have. 
Eight railroads are placed at your door by the rails of one. 

The other side of the plant can be placed on thirty-five 
feet of water, where cargo steamers and barges can discharge 
raw material at a negligible freight charge. 

Norfolk is gaining every year in distribution and fac- 
tories because of these advantages. In case carriers are com- 
pelled to charge for terminal services they render at larger 
but badly arranged port cities, a tide of commerce and indus- 
try will come to Norfolk at once. But it is already increasing 
at a good rate. 

32 



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SECTION OF THE HOTEL AND OF! 

THE BANKJ 



Statement compiled January, 1914 





RESOURCES 


NAME 


Jyoans 

and 

Discounts 


Banking 
House and 
Real Estate 


Casl 

Due 

Ba 


National Bank of Commerce 


$5,777,461.31 

3,473,958.25 

4,706,127.91 

1,436,599.83 

1,438,912.55 

1,485,985.61 

680,672.21 

761,338.73 

890,966.18 

466,730.90 

195,450.41 

761,338.73 

263,033.56 


1325,000.00 

245,462.09 

193,000 00 

20,000.00 

90,000.00 

212,710.00 

24,440.00 

25,748.15 

6,500.00 

13,021.45 

6,877.64 

10,993.52 

865.70 


$1,288; 


Citizens Bank 

Norfolk National Bank .. 


531, 
1.072, 


Norfolk Bank for Savings and Trusts 

Merchants and Mechanics Bank 

Virginia National Bank 

Marine Bank 

Merchants and Planters Bank 

*Seaboard National Bank 

*Bank of Norfolk 


130. 
139. 

208, 
338. 

"1, 
229, 
139, 

14. 


Peoples Bank and Trust Company 

.Savings Bank of Norfolk 


50, 
21, 


Totals 


$22,338,576.18 


$1,174,618.55 


$4,236, 



* Now consolidated as the Seaboard National Bank. 

The Norfolk Ledger-Dispatch, afternoon, and the Virginian-Pilo 







i/^-i^'' '^''*Fo^t Wool ~ '*""-;;, ""^ 

■?° )^^%jPcean View 



soi7sr — H^i . 



C0<^f»^ 















^^^"NORFOLK, VIRGINIA"'- 

Chainteof Commerce °<'Noifoll( ' 







JM^M1S^J^^^^^^^^6 




ICE BUILDING DISTRICT OF NORFOLK. 



5 OF NORFOLK. 



Reports to State Corporation Commission 





I^IABIIvITIES 


1 and 
from 
nks 


Totals 


Capital 


1 
Surplus and 
Profit 


Deposits 


Bills Payable 

and 
Re-discounts 


083.47 
5.37.70 
558.50 
715.43 


$7,390,544.78 

4,250,958.04 

.5,971,686.41 

1,587,315 26 

1.668,779.88 

1,907,262.17 

1,044,021.21 

858,591.30 

1,126,728.26 

619,087,32 

216.446.38 

823,198.54 

285,539,16 


$1,000,000 00 

600,000.00 

1,000,000.00 

100,000.00 

25,000.00 
500,000 00 
110,000.00 

50,000.00 
200,000.00 
100,000.00 
100,000.00 

50,000.00 

35,600.00 


$890,963.79 

533,876.73 

787,607.69 

302,625.00 

182,768.32 

113,434.53 

218,509,99 

119618,70 

59.075.93 

33,421.73 

13,061.72 

24,687.46 

16,035 06 


$4,140,582.33 

2,811,445.62 

2,884,941.32 

1,642,998.18 

1,474,752.39 

1,113,521.87 

703.649.48 

675,486.23 

638,130.42 

481,147.98 

86,524.81 

238,891.65 

206,833.09 


$500,000.00 

100,000.00 

,500,000.00 

75,000.00 


867.33 
566.56 


120,000.00 


909.00 
504.42 


75,000.00 


262.08 
334.97 
118.33 
866.29 
639.90 


6 755,00 
10,000.00 
15 000,00 
45,000.00 


963.98 


127,750,158.71 


$3,870,600.00 


$3,295,686.65 


$17,098,905.37 $1,446,755.00 



t, morning-, are the most prosperous newspapers published in Virginia. 

36 



Tr^^T^-TT^TIbJI^'^^^^^^^ 




Garrett's Winery — largest in America. Norfolk's location made the 

success of this business possible. Home of Virginia 

Dare Wine and Garrett Champagne. 

Harbor, Commerce and Growth Statistics. 

The tonnage of the Port of Norfolk ranks fourth among 
all ports. The last figures made available by the United States 
War Department report the local yearly tonnage at twenty- 
two million, two hundred thousand tons valued at seven hun- 
dred and fifty million dollars. 

The huge export and bunker coal business, local commerce 
and manufacturing, the interchange between the eight trunk 
line railroads and coastwise and ocean steamship lines, are 
important factors. 

The Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt Line Railroad has been 
a great stimulant to business moving via Norfolk. 

Norfolk is but twenty-seven miles from the open sea. The 
channel is thirty-five feet deep. One and a quarter million 
dollars will be spent by the Government for its improvement 
and widening. 



39 



m^MJE^j^^^^^M^ 



^^^^^^Mfli^ 




1. The Citizens Bank. 

2. American Banking and Insur- 

ance Co., and Arcade Bldg-. 

3. Virginia National Banlc and 

Virginia Bank and Trust Co. 



THE BANKS OF NORFOLK. 



Mercantile Bank. 
The Marine Bank. 
Norfolk National Bank. 



Seaboard National Bank. 
National Bank of Commerce. 
Merchants and Planters Bank. 



Savings Bank of Norfolk, located at 239 E. Main Street. 



10. Norfolk Bank for Savings and 

Trusts. 

11. Merchants & Mechanics Bank. 

12. Peoples Bank and Trust Co. 

Southern Produce Co.'s Bldg, 



37 



38 



^^^^^^^a^^ 



Harbor and Commerce — Continued. 

The harbor bottom and banks are mud "and sand. This 
cheapens the cost of dredging for private improvements. The 
rock ledges and reefs that make this work expensive elsewhere 
are avoided at Norfolk. The harbor does not silt up. 

Manufacturing. 

Capital Invested $30,000,000.00 

Annual Pay Roll $ 5,400,000.00 

Annual Production $39,000,000.00 

Number of Plants 363 

Number of Employees 15,000 

Industries are rapidly increasing in number and diversity. 

Wholesale Trade. 

Over ten million dollars are invested in the jobbing busi- 
ness; the annual sales being fifty million dollars. 

An unlimited field is open in this business. First class 
houses handling millinery, hats and caps, boots and shoes, dry 
goods, drugs, hardware and clothing could safely invest any 
amount of capital. 

Great Cotton Port. 

From five hundred to eight hundred thousand bales of 
cotton are shipped through Norfolk every season. Present 
modern facilities are being enlarged to care for logical expan- 
sion. Large numbers of chartered steamers supplement ser- 
vices of ocean liners in handling Norfolk exports. 

Southeastern Lumber Market, 

Seven hundred million feet of lumber is sold in Norfolk 
every year. Norfolk is headquarters for Carolina yellow pine, 
gum, cypress, etc. An important domestic and export trade 
in hardwood is conducted. 



40 



Trucking and General Farming. 

Because of the climate, soil, markets and transportation 
facilities, trucking and general farming in the Norfolk dis- 
trict have made Norfolk County the most densely populated 
section of Virginia. 

The future development of the agricultural possibilities 
of the Norfolk district will make the territory within one hun- 
dred miles of the city the most highly developed and populous 
farming district in the United States. It is bound to come for 
the great cities of the North and East depend upon Norfolk 
for their vegetables. 

The present agricultural development is the backbone of 
Norfolk's properity. When it is considered that it is not more 
than one-tenth developed and the present demand for its pro- 
ducts cannot be met, the solidity of Norfolk's expansion can 
be seen. 

The proximity of the Gulf Stream lengthens out the crop 
season of a community almost wholly northern in latitude, to 
two hundred and twenty-eight crop-growing days. This is 
done without making the climate unsatisfactory to people 
raised in the northern sections. 

The Norfolk farming district is covered with a net-work 
of steam and electric railways. A great part of it is also on 
waterways that enable the products to be marketed in the grow- 
er's motor boat at a cost that is negligible. 

The great cities of Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, 
New York and Boston rely almost entirely upon the Norfolk 
district at certain seasons for its farm products. Thes< 
products are sent there in steamships to a great extent; they 
are ideal carriers for truck and vegetables. The western mar- 



43 



t^S^^^ms^^ 




Berkley Ward, the Industrial Section of Norfolk, the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River and the U. S. Navy Yard 
The Belt Line Railroad and deep water meet here. 



INTERESTING STATISTICS. 

Building Permits. 

Three million and ninety-three thousand dollars worth of 
new buildings were erected in Norfolk during 1913, as com- 
pared with one million five hundred thousand spent for that 
purpose in 1007. 



Post Office Receipts. 

1909 $295,900.00 

1913 388,391.00 

Bank Deposits. 

1905 $13,638,142.00 

1913 22,179,626.00 



Property Values. 

1900 $26,175,980.00 

1913 67,623,800.00 

Population Norfolk City. 

1900 46,634 

1913 85,005 

(U. S. Census.) 



Water Transportation. 

Norfolk's coastwise water lines and rail lines are clearly 
shown on the numerous maps in this book. 

Eleven lines of high class passenger and cargo ships con- 
nect Norfolk with New York, Boston, Providence, Philadel- 
phia, Baltimore, Washington, Rappahannock River, York 
River, Mobjack Bay, Mattaponi River, James River and the 
Carolina Sounds. 

The Hamburg- American Line has sailings to Hamburg; 
Holland- American Line to Rotterdam and Amsterdam; Fur- 
ness-Withy Lines to London, Liverpool, Norway and Mexico ; 
Donaldson Line to Glasgow ; all freight services. Booth Line 
gives freight and passenger service to Barbados and Amazon 
River. 

Thousands of ocean and coastwise vessels call at Norfolk 
for cargo and bunker coal, in addition to the above regular 
lines. 



kets are also drawing upon Norfolk. Points over one thousand 
miles away are being supplied. 

Two soil types distinguish the Norfolk district. The 
Norfolk fine sandy loam and the Norfolk fine sand soils are 
ideal for the products raised. The first type has a surface soil 
of a depth of six to fifteen inches. It does not clod or bake. 
At a depth of two feet it becomes a sandy clay loam which re- 
tains moisture well. The second type, a fine sand, has a sur- 
face depth of about eight inches, and below a more compact 
sand extends to a depth of two feet. It drains thoroughly and 
provides a warm soil. There is a black soil type near Norfolk 
with as high as three per cent of nitrogen content which is 
a great corn and staple crop producer. 

We quote verbatim from the 1912 year book of the 
United States Department of Agriculture regarding this sec- 
tion's trucking industry and its importance : 

"The great winter garden, which supplies the cities of the 
Northeastern States with the fresh vegetables demanded dur- 
ing the latter months of winter and early spring, stretches 
in a narrow belt along the coast from the vicinity of Savannah, 
Georgia, to the southern portions of New Jersey. 

"The Norfolk, Virginia, trucking area is probably the 
best known, as well as the oldest trucking district, of the At- 
lantic coastal region. It is estimated that nearly 35,000 acres 
of land are devoted to truck crops in this district, which com- 
prises parts of Princess Anne, Norfolk, Nansemond and Isle 
of Wight Counties in Virginia. The gross returns from this 
business exceed $8,000,000 each year. 

"Early Irish potatoes are the chief crop in acreage and 
value. The value of this crop usually exceeds $2,000,000. 



44 



1F^?i^T°^-TFC^Tl^J^N^^^}^^^ 



NORFOLK NAVY YARD, MARINE BARRACl 

HOSPITAL, FC 



Norfolk is important in the nation's scheme of defense be- 
cause of its strategic location. In time of war, as well as peace, 
the Capes of Virginia are the gateways to the nation and 
must be defended at all cost. 

The unexcelled anchorage of Hampton Roads, which is 
but a few miles from the open sea makes it the rendezvous of 
the Atlantic Fleet. Off Cape Henry is the Southern Drill 
Grounds where the fleet has maneuvers and target practice 
that fit it for war. 

The channel leading to Norfolk and the Navy Yard has 
a minimum depth of thirty-five feet. One and a quarter mil- 
lion dollars will soon be spent for widening it and in a few 
years it will be made forty feet deep. 

The Navy Yard, in the Portsmouth section, is our largest 
single employer of labor. Twenty-five hundred men are em- 
ployed with an annual pay-roll of three million dollars. 

More battleships are docked at Norfolk than any other 
naval station. One dock will accommodate the largest ship 
of the Navy. Another, one thousand feet long, costing three 
million dollars, will be built within a year or two. 

The North Atlantic Fleet uses Norfolk as its main supply 
station for coal, provisions and ammunition. 

The marine barracks and marine officers' school are lo- 
cated on the naval reservation. 

St. Helena Training Station. 

Where naval recruits are apprenticed before being as- 
signed to work on active warships. Largest in the country. 

47 



JM^m^(^ 



^^^^^^ 



Stniwhcrrics arc next in importance. J^iving an 
annual retnrn <,i about $I.()(Mj,()()(). Kale and 
spinach, grown as winter crops, are harvest- 
ed to a value of nearly $1,000,000 each year. 
Cabbage, ])eas and beans constitute the other 
more imjjortant crops, although cucumbers. 
radishes, beets, melons and sweet potatoes are 
j/rown on a considerable acreage. 

"it is probable that the available land 
supply for trucking purposes has been more 
nearly utilized in the Norfolk district than in 
any of the other trucking regions of the At- 
lantic Coast region. Vat there exists in the 
northern |)orlions of the counties named an 
area of the Norfolk and Portsmouth soil se- 
ries in excess of 110,000 acres and in the vi- 
cinity of the p(jrt of Norfolk not less than 
;^"ili. 0(1(1 acres of these peculiarly truck-s(n'l 
types." 

I lere is the best developed farming section 
III the .South. I'A'cry condition has been 
|ini\eil. .\(i pioneering is needed. This is 
neither an inilried nor a boom countrv where 
piiiinnter.s are selling farm lands at unreason- 
alile prices. 

rile prices of these lands are reasonable. 
biipr.nrd truck farms near the city can be 
liail at I'nmi ,$.'i().(t() to $1. -,().()() per acre. The 
same .soil, but less improved, at from $1.5.00 to 
$:.'.'i.(>0. Ordinary farm lands adapted to gen- 
I'l-al crops range from $30.00 to $100.00. 




1. StrawbL-iry picUi'i.-i at work. 2. Intensive Cultivation of a Norfolk dlHtrlct Irurk farm. 3. Mak- 
ing tile Krowth of cucumbers absolutely certain. 4. The corn-raising possibilities of the Norfolk dis- 
trict are responsible for numbers of the best class of farmers from such states as Ohio anil Indiana 
moving here. 

The intensive truck farming of the Norfolk district sets the example for all other sections. The 
staple crops nttniit farmers that otherwise would not settle In the South. 



^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 



S, ST. HELENA TRAINING STATION, NAVAL 
RT MONROE, ETC. 



Has band of over one hundred pieces. Daily drills attract 
many visitors. Is located in Berkley Ward. 

Naval Hospital. Soldiers' Home. 

The first institution has a very attractive location in 
Portsmouth; the second is on the north side of Hampton 
Roads. They are very interesting to visitors. The mild cli- 
mate makes life very pleasant for the inmates. 

Fort Monroe and Fort Wool. 

The first named is the largest fortress in America. Has 
over a hundred officers and thousands of enlisted men. Coast 
Artillery School is located here. Its batteries of high-powered 
rifles protect the national capital and the central portion of the 
seaboard. Second fort is on an island between Old Point and 
Willoughby. 

Shipbuilding Plant. 

America's largest shipbuilding plant and commercial dry 
docks are located on the north side of the harbor at Newport 
News. 

Local Transportation. 

All of these places can be easily and cheaply reached by 
ferry or street railway from Norfolk. Visitors to the city can 
obtain necessary information by applying in person or by letter 
or telephone to the Chamber of Commerce of Norfolk, 
Virginia. 

48 



^^^^^^^^^i^iiiMSi^ 




PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

1. The Norfolk Young Men's Christian Association. 2. Naval Y. M. 

C. A., erected for the benefit of enlisted men in the U. S. Navy. 

3. The Carneg-ie Public Library, located on Freemason Street. 

Numerous high-class churches head the institutional life of 

Norfolk. All denominations are well represented. People from every 

part of the country live in Norfolk and are represented in its church 

and social life. 5]^ 



^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 



^^^^^^^^^^^^^i^^jMni^ 




SCENES AT THE NORFOLK NAVY YARD. 

1. U. S. S. Florida in tlie large dry dock. 2. U. S. S. Minnesota taking stores at Norfolk Navy Yard. 3. U. S. S. Louisiana and Virginia. 4. The 
North Atlantic Fleet in Hampton Roads; reached via trolley or boats from Norfolk. 

The Norfolk Navy Yard is located on the Southern Branch, Portsmouth side. Reached via Ferry from foot of Commercial Place, thence street i^ar 
or short walk. Marine Barracks adjacent; training station opposite. 

49 50 . 



Smis^i^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 




The Maury High School — the center of Norfolk's puVilic school system. 
The city and county of Norfolk lavish money on their schools. 

Living Conditions. 

Few places on this earth offer the combination of con- 
genial living and business conditions available at Norfolk. 

Here on the seacoast, just midway between North and 
South, with a healthy, stimulating climate that is a combina- 
tion of the best of both sections; with schools, churches, clubs 
and organizations that satisfy the most exacting, with a splen- 
did present and inspiring future for commercial, industrial and 
professional pursuits, life is worth while. 

A center of eastern sea-food production, the truck garden 
of the Atlantic; living is moderate in price, with the best and 
freshest products available. 

Modern houses and numerous high class apartments may 
be bought or rented at reasonable prices. Accommodations 
can be easily had. 

Norfolk's theatres are unexcelled in the South. Norfolk 
capital controls a large proportion of the theatres on the 
Southern Seaboard. 

The New York theatrical companies on tour play Nor- 
folk as the first Southern point. Norfolk residents do not 
have to wait long to see the latest and best shows. 



52 




The Casino and Grounds at Virginia Beach; one of the greatest 

watering places in America. Regularly visited by 

people from every State. 

Hotel and Restaurant Facilities. 

Norfolk provides accommodations for the transient that 
cities of twice its size would regard as very satisfactory. 

Her eight first class hotels have sleeping quarters for nine- 
teen hundred guests. A number of first class restaurants sup- 
plement the hotel cafes. 

The transient life of Norfolk is one of its most attrac- 
tive and enlivening features. It gives a metropolitan aspect 
to the hotels, restaurants and amusements places. 

Norfolk is on one of the best traveled routes between the 
East and the West and South, made up of the railroads to Nor- 
folk, thence fast passenger steamers to New York, Baltimore, 
Washington and Boston, also by train to New York. The vol- 
ume of business, pleasure and health seekers from all sections 
supplemented by this year-' round stop-over travel makes Nor- 
folk lively throughout the year. 



55 



^^Effi^j^^^^^^^^^^^^MflA 



Living Conditions. 

Health conditions are excellent. The sea air is a stimu- 
lant. E\-er\' part of the city is well drained and near open 
tidewater. 1"he drinking water is pure and soft. The death 
rate among whites is the national average of fifteen per 
diousand. 

Look at the map and see how easily and (|uickly the largest 
cities of the East can be reached; most of them by water. 
Southern interests can be handled from Norfolk without hav- 
ing to live in an isolated community. 

The evening and the week-end can be spent visiting such 
interesting places as Ocean View, Cape Henry, Virginia Beach, 
Lynnhaven, Old Point, Pine Beach, Newport News, Hampton, 
the Navy Yard, Naval Hospital, Soldiers' Home, Naval Train- 
ing Station : all these places are within an hour's trolley or 
boat ride of Norfolk. 

The section included within one hundred miles radius of 
Norfolk offers numberless opportunities to visit scenes asso- 
ciated with the most important acts in the history of America. 

Haunting and fishing in and around Norfolk is famed 
the world over. The duck shooting on Chesapeake Bay, Back 
Bay, etc., for which Norfolk is headquarters, brings lovers of 
sport here from all over the United States. 

Hundreds of naval and army officers and their families 
live in and around Norfolk and add variety to life. The North 
Atlantic Fleet rendezvous in Hampton Roads several times 
a year and hardly a week passes that a battleship does not 
come up to the Navy Yard. Several are usually there for 
docking and repairs. 

As a place in which to live a comfortable and healthy life 
amid congenial surroundings at a reasonable price, Norfolk 
ranks high. 

53 



^^^^^^^^^^K^^^iMi^^fljMn^ 




CLUB BUILDINGS. 

The Ghent Club. 2. The Borough Club, located on the bank of the 

Hague. 3. The Norfolk Country Club — the golf links and 

club house front on the banks of the LaFayettc 

River, a branch of the Elizabeth River. 

•1. The Elks' Club. 5. The VlrKiniii 

Club — the down town clul). 

.'54 



osiia 



^^^^t^an^^ 




Fishing on famous Lynnhaven Bay. Easily reached from Norfolk by 

Norfolk Southern electric cars. See map on pages 

thirty-three and thirty-four. 



Cooking as practiced in Norfolk hotels and restaurants, 
rises from the commonplace and becomes an art. Here the 
dishes that have made Virginia famous are served at their 
best. Virginia hams and bacon, sea-food, fruit and vegetables 
are unsurpassed the world over. 

The next trip East buy a circle ticket which permits one- 
half of the round trip to be made via Norfolk and a steamship 
line. 

Numerous hotels, boarding houses, cottages and cafes at 
nearby beach resorts supplement the facilities provided in the 
city for transients. Their rates are reasonable. Write the 
Chamber of Commerce for further information. 

A stroll on the beach at Cape Henry between the break- 
ers and the great sand dunes; a chmb to the top of the tall 
light-house, and a meal of roasted Lynnhaven oysters served 
at the pavilion, is an experience that is never forgotten. 
Reached by the Norfolk Southern electric cars from City 
Hall Avenue. 

56 



^^^^^m^^ 




NORFOLK RESIDENCES. 

1. Graydon Park. 2. Boissevain Avenue. 
3. Mowbray Arch. 



59 



^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^iLiMSi^ 



^^^^^^^^^^^^^^jM^ 




1. The Lorraine Hotel, Granby and Tazewell Streets. 

2. Hotel Norfolk, Granby Street near Freemason Street. 

o. The Fairfax Hotel, City Hall Avenue and Randolph Street. 

4. The Victoria Hotel, Main Street east of Commercial Place. 



HOTEIv BriLDINGS. 

5. The Atlantic Hotel, Granby Street between Main and I'll 

6. Hotel Neddo, Plume Street near Granby Street. 

7. The Lynnhaven Hotel, Granby and Freemason Streets. 
S. The Monticello Hotel, Granby Street and City Hall Ave 



57 



lF;:^T°^-TF^cS)Tt^^^^V^^ 





HOSPITALS. 

1. St. Vincent's Hospital. 2. Sarah Leigh Hospital. 
3 Norfolk Protestant Hospital. 



60 



Do you desire more 

information about any subject 

mentioned in this book? 



The 

Chamber of Commerce 

of Norfolk 

is able and willing to furnish 
promptly reliable, detailed 
data, more voluminous than 
can be inserted in a booklet, 
without cost, obligation or 
publicity 



See inside front cover page 



WR(TTEN AND DE8IQNED BY 
E. L. MCCOLQIN, SECRETARY 




LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 




014 441 365 9 



PRINTED IN NORFOLK 
BY W. T. BARRON & CO 



■m 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




014 441 365 9 




